How Long Should You Spend in Tokyo?

by GoWithGuide travel specialist:Fidelia A.

Last updated : Apr 28, 2022・7 min read

Tokyo has so many things to offer. Visitors who are planning their Tokyo itinerary for their next trip might ask themselves this question:

How many days should I spend in Tokyo?

Now, the answer to this question varies from each person. However, in this article, I am going to give you some ideas about the perfect length of stay YOU should spend in Tokyo. Read on!

How long can you stay in Tokyo?

If you are coming with a visitor visa, depending on the country from which you came from you may be allowed to stay for a period 15 days or 90 days. You need to check Japan’s Immigration Embassy’s website to make sure which category you fall in.

However, you can also apply for the multiple entry visas, which ranges from 1 to 5 years. This visa is usually granted to those who have a connection with people who are staying in Japan for business or education reasons.

Generally speaking, two weeks is usually the recommended days that foreigners usually spend in Japan if their only goal is just for sightseeing and traveling purposes. From that two weeks, visitors usually spend around 3 to 5 days in Tokyo and spend the rest in other destinations.

There’s a lot of things you can do in the span of two weeks, which I will discuss in the next point.

What to do in Tokyo?

Look:

Making a travel itinerary for Tokyo could be exhausting.

There are so many things to do, too much to see! In order to make things easier for you, here are some of the best must-see spots in Tokyo, based on my recommendation:

Shibuya

Hop on the Yamanote line and stop at the famous Shibuya station! As a well-known tourist spot, Shibuya has a lot of things to offer you. To start with, take an obligatory selfie with Hachiko statue, which is located right in front of the station.

Right next to the Hachiko statue is the famous Shibuya crossing. Often sought off as the world’s busiest crossing, it is a common sight to see tourists taking pictures while crossing the street or just enjoying the one minute frenzy. As soon as the light turns red, everybody stops and the vehicles roared back to life!

Harajuku

Harajuku was and is still the center of fashion for youngsters in Tokyo area. In the past, it was known to be the center of the extraordinary Harajuku fashion style. In the recent years, the number of teens wearing crazy clothing have receded tremendously. On the other hand, you can still see some people wearing unique and distinctive style in Takeshita street!

Located right in front of Harajuku station, this street is often called as the most famous tourist spot in Tokyo. Here, you can find things that you won’t see anywhere else in Tokyo!

Ginza

For those of you who are looking for a high-end shopping center, look no further than Ginza!

Ginza has always been a famous spot for those with extra cash in their pockets since the old times. Here, you can find branded goods and good restaurants with Michelin stars.

Ginza also has a selection of high-class night entertainment. However, it is mostly meant for Japanese higher-ups and visitors might need to come with a native in order to enjoy these establishments.

Tsukiji

Here’s what you should know about Tsukiji:

It is both what you would and would not expect from your regular fish market.

Although it is a fish market, visitors claimed that it certainly does not smell terrible in there. Japanese are known to be very clean and proper, and Tsukiji is definitely no exception. Tourists definitely do not need to worry about smelling weird after visiting Tsukiji.

Tourists from all over the world have come to the famous Tsukiji fish market early in the morning, just to catch a glimpse of the Tuna auction. Restaurant owners from all over Tokyo would come and try their best to get the freshest Tuna every morning.

If you are not an early bird, you can still enjoy Tsukiji in your own way! Tsukiji offers you a vast range of seafood restaurants with the freshest ingredients.

Be nice to your belly and feast yourself!

Akihabara

Home to Japanese subculture, Akihabara is full of Japanese animations shops that sell goods and other things. You can also find maid themed cafes and other themed cafes in here!

For those of you who are not so interested in searching for animes and video-games goods, you can still have a reason to visit Akihabara. Akihabara is also known for their electronic goods.

You can find your pick between the small shops that sell electronic supplies or the big electronic departments such as Bic Camera and Yodobashi Camera!

Tokyo DisneySea

The only one of its kind in the world!

Built in 2001, this is the first “themed” Disney theme park in the world. DisneySea is different from the usual Disneyland in terms of designs and other things. For example, instead of the usual European style castle that is in every other Disneyland in the world, Disney sea have a castle from the animation “The Little Mermaid”.

This theme park is located just a little bit outside of Tokyo area. Although going there took a little more time, it definitely is worth the trip.

Moreover, you can get a special price ticket for both DisneySea and Disneyland!

Tokyo has so many more things to offer! If you are looking for more option, you can visit this link and this link to see other recommended places to visit for your trip in Tokyo!

To make your trip more convenient

So many things, so little time!

In order to handle a problem like this, I suggest you hire a private guide or a bus tour! You can simply make a Tour Request and we'll connect you with a local guide who will help you plan your perfect trip.

A private tour guide would help you get your way around Tokyo. Moreover, you would be able to get more information from the places you visit. Your private guide could also recommend you the length of your stay in Tokyo. To get yourself the best guide as possible, I recommend you to get one from GoWithGuide. They have the best guides that will make your holiday in Tokyo more special!

Not buying into the idea of someone chartering to your every need? Well, at least help yourself from the hassle of navigating yourself around Tokyo’s complex public transportation system. You could simply book yourself a bus tour from this link to save yourself from getting lost in Tokyo!

In this article, we have reviewed about the minimum days you should spend and the things you could do in Tokyo. I hope this information would be useful to you and wish you good luck with your holiday!